80 percent of Irish businesses have a lack of confidence in Ireland's Government

Eight percent of Irish business people believe that the Budget will be passed but say that their confidence in the Government has been dented.

Less than a third of Irish companies believe the four-year plan will restore competitiveness and increase the number of jobs in Ireland. The majority of companies believe the plan will in fact damage Ireland's recovery.

The survey, carried out by Ernst & Young, found that half of those questioned say liquidity remains their top concern. Another quarter said they were concerned with the impact of changes to PRSI and details around proposed VAT increases.